"In this volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, key issues and practices will be addressed on the following topics: The contemporary challenge of meeting growing demands for increased student persistence and success; diminishing state support for higher education; new calls for accountability and ways to measure institutional effectiveness; the increasing reliance of many community colleges on grants and other sources of revenue; and college policies that have significant financial ramifications"--Page 4 of cover.

"It is by far the best study that I know of on community colleges. It comes at a critical time in the history of these institutions. It is carefully reasoned, beautifully written, and sound in its conclusions."--Howard R. Bowen; Professor of Economics and Education, Claremont Graduate School "...and excellent piece of work....Its quality is high and the book is significant. Its significance stems from the fact that it deals with an area of higher education not yet explored by other writings."--Earl F. Cheit; Dean, Schools of Business Administration; University of California, Berkeley "...a great job of describing and clarifying the issues....The book should become 'required reading' for our field...a very fine piece of work that will be a valuable tool for educators, students, and policy-makers."--Roger Yarrington; Vice President, Research and Development, American Association of Community and Junior Colleges "...a thorough job of compiling the pertinent data; of identifying key questions; and of focusing upon central, rather than tangential, issues....Leaders and policy-makers in community colleges and in governmental positions will undoubtedly find the work an invaluable resource."--Bill J. Priest; Chancellor Emeritus, Dallas County Community College District

Smart financial management means more students served Community College Finance provides an introduction to best practices for community college leaders and their boards, with guidance on the complex regulations, processes, and considerations surrounding the financial management of these unique institutions. As community colleges continue to increase in importance, this book provides non-technical yet extensive information to guide current and future leaders toward the establishment of effective processes to secure and maintain the funding that is so crucial to the education and future of millions of students nationwide. Readers will gain insight into the background and foundation of community college finance and learn the essentials of practice in today's economic and political climate. The discussion covers student financial aid, tuition, budgeting, and more, and explores the future of federal policy and what it means for the institutions that play such a critical role in the nation's educational system. Over eight million students attend more than a thousand community colleges in the United States today, and those colleges are now facing the retirement of their founding generation of leadership. Meanwhile, the balance between traditional funding sources is shifting as new models and approaches are being implemented, and comprehensive, guiding resources are lacking. This book fills that need with expert insight reflecting current realities and a true understanding of the challenges community colleges face. Readers will: Delve into factors affecting funding and the cost of attendance Develop a budgeting style and process that serves the institution Learn to manage fiscal crises effectively without reducing standards Consider the future of federal policy and how it will affect budgeting At a time when a difficult economy raises questions about the value of higher education, the value that community colleges offer becomes ever more clear. Community College Finance provides the guidance leaders need to help their institutions flourish.

This book will help new administrators (department chairs, directors, deans) understand and become more proficient in their financial management role within the institution. Highly accessible, practitioners will be able to put the book's guidance to immediate use in their work. It is also grounded in the latest knowledge base and filled with examples from across all types of institutions, so that it makes an ideal text for a courses in graduate programs in higher education leadership and administration. Specifically, the book: • provides an understanding of the basics of budgeting and fiscal management in higher education • defines the elements of a budget, the budget cycle, and the steps for creating a budget • suggests ways of avoiding common pitfalls and problems of managing budgets • contains effective strategies for dealing with loss of resources • includes end-of-chapter reflection questions and an expanded glossary of terms Written in plain language this volume provides practical approaches to many complex problems in fiscal management. This new edition of the book contains new information in every chapter reflecting both the most recent developments in higher education and feedback from readers of the earlier edition. The information on the current higher education financial environment has been updated, and the case studies have been revised. Readers will be introduced to Bowen's theory of resources and expenses as an important way to understand budgetary decision making in colleges and universities. Special attention is paid to the use of restricted funds, the budget implications of faculty appointments and the challenges caused by personnel policies for staff. In addition, greater attention is given to development and implementation of repair and replacement programs in auxiliary enterprises. The challenges that arise when budget problems are postponed are also discussed. The volume contains a number of suggestions for practitioners with new budgeting and fiscal responsibilities.

This book is designed to help college/university faculty and academic administrators become more constructive and knowledgeable participants in the budgetary process. Chapter 1 introduces budgets and the budgetary process, with an explanation of the importance of budgeting in policy making, Chapter 2 discusses economic and political contexts of budgeting and describes the framework for the budgetary process both on and off campus. It addresses the importance of enrollments as a major factor in resource issues, sources of funds, how state and local governments differ with respect to wealth and willingness to tax wealth, and other issues. Chapter 3 identifies factors that distinguish the budgetary process of one institution from that of another, focusing on capital budgets and operating budgets, budget cycles, participants in budgeting, and chronology of budgetary processes. Chapter 4 describes how participants influence the operating and capital budgetary processes. It discusses the need for flexibility, the relationship between risk and budgets, and how changes in institutional character can influence the budgetary process. Chapter 5 discusses budgetary planning for reallocation and retrenchment, emphasizing that the least disruptive strategies are those that are implemented in anticipation of fiscal stringency rather than in the midst of a financial crisis. An appendix describes several approaches to budgeting, such as zero base budgeting and performance budgeting. (Each chapter contains references.) (JDD)

"In this volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, key issues and practices will be addressed on the following topics: The contemporary challenge of meeting growing demands for increased student persistence and success; diminishing state support for higher education; new calls for accountability and ways to measure institutional effectiveness; the increasing reliance of many community colleges on grants and other sources of revenue; and college policies that have significant financial ramifications" -- page 4 of cover.